Mysteries of the Second Kind
by Faith Rivens
Summary: James Potter has always known that his ancestors were part of a group called the Ancients. But on his sixteenth birthday, mere legend comes to life when James realizes that he posseses special powers as well as the gift of immortality. Summary in profile.
1. Prologue

March 27th 2010:

To Whomever Cares,

My name is James Potter, not like that means anything to you, and not like you care. Who would? But I need to let out my anger some way, so if you're the lucky person who picks up this crumpled piece of paper, don't ignore it, just bear with, or pass it on to the next person you meet and tell them to read this letter because some poor dead kid somewhere in the world needed someone to confide in. I'll even give you a name, to make you feel important. How about Amicus? It means friend in Latin.

I'm special. You're probably thinking duh! at this moment. You'd have to be a special case to be writing a letter like this, that is, you would be thinking that if you even got this far. But I'm not only special in that way. You see, I have these special powers. Yeah, special powers. Don't believe me, don't worry. Just keep reading this letter like you would read a really good fantasy novel. And let it inspire you to write some great story.

So let me explain, so that you're book can become a best seller one day. My family, the Potters, are descendants of one of five families who were once blessed with immortality. Yes, you read right, immortality. But they were killed off long ago, and the ability to be immortal has long faded and slowly downsized to mere myths and legends. Or so I was told. But a year ago today, on my sixteenth birthday, guess what? If you've been following you'd probably realize that I got that very power, along with the ability to control the elements and lots of other cool things like that.

At first, I was a hell of a lot excited, you have no idea. Well, maybe you do. After all, who wouldn't want to be able to live forever and to stay young forever too? That's what I first thought when I was bestowed with the family legacy. But now, it's a living nightmare. Why you ask? Why do I hate being able to live for an eternity. One simple word: love.

The problem is there's a girl...her name is Lily, Lily Rosalie Evans. And she's red-haired, feisty, brilliant, uncontrollable, wild, and stubborn. She's also beautiful and I'm madly, head over heels, in love with her.

You see my problem now? Well, maybe you don't. It depends on if you've ever been in love before. So just in case you haven't, let me explain as simple as I can. When you love someone (and no I'm not about to quote a Bryan Adams song) something magical happens inside of you. This feeling, one inexplicable, fills your entire being and captivates your heart, your soul, your mind. People say that love is the most powerful magic this world possesses. They're right. Love is powerful and sometimes dangerous. Look what it did to Romeo and Juliet, Tony and Maria, Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Their love for each other, though strong did nothing but lead to complete and utter disaster. My own love story is doomed to follow the same path, because the one woman I have fallen in love with can never be mine.

Why can she never be mine? There are so many reasons flowing through your head aren't there. Well, there are only three that apply to me:

I'm immortal...she's not.

She's dating my best friend and...

She's the daughter of my greatest enemy.

Now you know why I'm living in hell, don't you. Well, thanks for listening to my little rant. Now you can throw away this paper and leave it for the next person to find. Or you can burn it and save the next person the trouble that you just went to. Or even you can take it home and frame it, and every now and then, when you feel as if life has reached an all-time low, you can glance at it and wonder about the poor soul who's so lost so alone, so damned.

James Potter

**A.N. **Okay, so this is my newest fanfic. I've been suffering from a writer's block in my other stories, but Lily and James (Salem) is coming along nicely. But I was struck my inspiration the other night and started this one. Please give it a chance and review. Let me know what you think. It's only the prologue so it might be a little slow, but action will pick up soon.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

**Eighteen Months Earlier**

Summer holidays had come to an end, yet again. It was one of those things that you could always depend on. Like the seasons that change every three months and the sun rising in the morning with the moon rising at dusk. Summer holidays were like that too. They always begun, they always ended, but they never lasted for longer than they were supposed to. Most people would complain about this simple fact and say that the end of summer is like the end of the world. But I myself, can't help but feel an excited anxiousness every time the summer months draw to a close. Maybe it's because I'm weird, but Hogwarts Academy has always felt like a second home to me. Those walls hold for me a comfort that even my own home can't manage. Then again, when you live in a big house with only two other people and your loyal dog, the atmosphere begins to feel a little empty.

But at Hogwarts there is no such feeling. Sure, it's like a huge castle, but during the year it's populated by over three hundred people including staff. It's a boarding school too, which makes it easy to fall into a natural pattern. And they split us up into four houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw which makes it especially easy to make close friends. I have three people in my life who have become my closest friends, so close that we could be mistaken for brothers. These three people are Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. The four of us over the years have become known as the Marauders, experts in pranking.

I guess that's more than enough reason for me to want to return to Hogwarts at the end of each summer.

"James. You're breakfast is getting cold."

I sighed as my mom's voice floated up to my bedroom. I was packing the last of my things into my trunk, not wanting to forget anything. Hogwarts Academy was located in the countryside, near a small village called Hogsmeade. It was away from the busy bustle of regular life, something that I was more than content to leave for the eight months I spent at Hogwarts.

"James, hurry! It's almost ten. The train leaves at eleven!"

Closing my trunk, I quickly sidled out of my room before my mom could shout again. I reached the banister and slid down, leaving my trunk at the top. One of my favourite features of the house was the winding banister. Being an only child, I was easily amused by little things like that.

"James Franklin Potter!"

I cringed, caught in the act yet again. My eyes wandered over to where my mother stood in the open doorway, hands on her hips, a scowl painted across her face. I grinned innocently, causing her eyes to narrow angrily. My grin faltered and I bit my lip nervously. "Hey Mum. Just...umm...dusting the banister for you."

Her eyes rolled and I knew I was in for a long lecture. "James, if I wasn't worried about you being late for the Hogwarts Express, I would reprimand you and ground you. But seeing as we're in such a situation, I'll let it pass with a simple warning: don't do it again. Now come eat breakfast."

I felt a wave of relief wash over me as she walked into the kitchen. My mother, Eleanor Potter, was not someone to joke around a lot. She was far too serious, something she had inherited from her father, my grandfather, Colonel Arthur Mason. My dad, on the other hand, was a big softy. If he could, he would slide down the banisters with me. But Sergeant Mom kept him in check and in her presence acted like a strict guy. And then, when it was just us guys, he would go out with me to buy an ice cream and check out the girls down at the beach.

After waffling down my breakfast, which was very uncomfortable with my mom watching my every move and breathing down my neck, I ran back upstairs to get my trunk. Walking down the stairs, I almost tripped over my dog, Napoleon, who had unwisely chosen to lay down in the middle of the flight.

He barked as I nearly stepped on him and I stumbled backwards. The trunk, thankfully, helped me maintain my balance. But then Napoleon leapt up and knocked me down, licking me with his long pink tongue.

"Napoleon," I protested, throwing my hands up in defence, "Not on the stairs boy!"

But the big golden retriever would hear none of it. He kept licking me and barking. Of course, he knew I was leaving. It was always the same. When he saw the trunk come out, he sensed that I would be leaving him again for a whole year. It was hard for me to leave him too; he was one of my best friends, my greatest pals. He had been mine since I was ten and I loved him to death.

"Napoleon! Come here at once!"

At the sound of mother's shrill voice, Napoleon obediently ran down the stairs and sat down in front of her, though his eyes stayed trained on my every move.

I gathered my trunk once more and came to the bottom of the steps, hardly noticing as my mother began to gather her possessions, placing them into one of her many purses.

Napoleon whimpered quietly as I kneeled next to him and rubbed my hand through his golden fur. "I'll miss you too boy," I whispered quietly, "But I promise to write every week."

"WOOF!"

I laughed as he licked me once again and then with a final rub behind his ears I stood up. Every time I left for school, I couldn't help but imagine if I were a dog, unable to speak for myself, unable to understand what was going on around me, how I would feel if one of my greatest companions left for long periods of time, leaving me with a stern woman and a confused husband.

"James, please. How many times am I going to have to yell for you to come?"

I muttered something inappropriate under my breath. Over the years, I had become perfectly adapted to the strength of my mother's hearing, knowing exactly how low I had to speak to make sure she couldn't hear me. The way I speak of her, must really make her come across as a horrid woman. She's not really. I remember when I was younger, how she would always smell of lilies and baked bread. She would take me to the park and push me on the swing until I felt like I was flying. And at night, she would always read to me from Dr. Seuss and Robert Munch. And then, both her parents had died in a car crash, and she had become this bitter stranger.

My father once told me that when they died, a little piece of my mom had died with them. I never understood why it had to be her sweet, nurturing side that had to go. Another one of life's mysteries. And then, every once and a while, I would see a glimpse of the woman who once adored me. But these moments were becoming less frequent and shorter lasting.

"James."

With a final glance at Napoleon, I picked up my trunk and walked out the door, glad that the car ride would only last ten minutes.

*********************************************

Half an hour later we arrived at the train station, with only five minutes until eleven o'clock and the departure of the Hogwarts Express. My mom was in a frenzy as she pulled into the parking lot, cursing our bad fortune. There had been an accident right near our exit. Some guy had tried to commit suicide and had swerved his car into the railing. As far as I knew, he had been unsuccessful, and now I was late for the train.

My mother practically threw my trunk at me as she slammed the back door and then promptly began to push me in the right direction.

"Mum!" I protested as we passed through the crowded station, "I can walk by myself!"

"Yes," she said, as she shoved a woman out of the way, "But at the pace you normally walk, you'll be late for the train, and then I'll have to drive you to the next stop!" There were three places that the Hogwarts Express stopped, as an attempt to convenience people. London was the first of the three stations.

"Finally!" she shouted and I could see the scarlet train standing out. My heart leapt with joy and my feet quickened of their own accord. But then my mom held me back. "Now James," she said, "Be careful this year, and try not to get into any trouble." Her voice was sharp, but in them I could sense a hint of motherly concern. Suddenly, her arms wrapped around me and drew me in for a rare hug. Her lips touched the top of my messy black mop of hair. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mum," I whispered back just as the train let out a shrill whistle.

Quickly, I made my way to one of the opened doors and stepped onto the train. I could see my mom standing in the crowd of people, her gaze fixed on me. I lifted my hand and waved as the wheels started to propel the express forward.

Her hand was in the air too, waving. I watched her, with a smile on her face until she faded in the distance. She had bestowed me with one of those rare moments and for that I was eternally grateful to whatever God was above us.

With the train slowly beginning to pick up speed, I began to make my way towards the end of the corridor, passing compartment by compartment, filled with students returning for or starting a new year of Hogwarts.

Most I recognized. One was full of girls giggling. Their door was open and I managed to hear one mention a certain Amos Diggory. Apparently one of our Gryffindor girls had finally settled with Hufflepuff heartthrob Diggory. He was an interesting fellow to be sure, not one that I would call friend, more acquaintance. And even if I had tried to make small talk with Diggory, he would have shooed me off, preferring to spend time with his blond, perfect hair.

Another compartment I passed, had an unfortunately familiar platinum blond haired freak sitting amongst an array of mostly male, most black-haired gits exactly like him. They were sixth year Slytherins and were a rather unruly bunch that I had no patience for. The platinum blond one, a Mr. Lucius Malfoy came from one of the most 'prestigiously' aristocratic families and was apparently a descendant of royalty. But really, he was nothing more than a pompous, arrogant, jerk.

Finally, I reached a compartment that held the three people I admired most in the world: the rest of the Marauders and my best friends. As I slid open the door, three very different faces turned to face me, identical grins painted across their faces. Maybe now would be a good time to introduce them properly.

Sirius Black, sitting the closest to where I stood, was the first person I had met at Hogwarts and we became good friends and, even though I'm close with all of them, Sirius has remained my closest friend. He's a good guy, a lot like me with the same black hair, though his eyes are incredibly grey while mine are boringly hazel; but his family is completely messed-up. His mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. Valentine Black, consider themselves to be of high birth and high society and are the biggest snobs I have ever met. Well, apart from the Malfoys in any case. Anyways, Sirius hates his family and the way they live and he constantly gets beat up for it. He has a younger brother who goes to Hogwarts too, Regulus, and he's just as much of a jerk as his parents, the little creep.

Remus Lupin, who sat opposite of Sirius, is the logical, calm, sensible, mature one of the group. He's also the studious one who always gets the best grades. He happens to be the top kid of our grade which means he'll probably be valedictorian in two years. The teachers love him, his tutees worship him, and girls ignore him. As far as I know he's never dated, and personally I think these girls have no idea what they're missing out on. He's such a sweet guy and I don't know how he got mixed up with us, but he did and I can't say I regret it. His family life is perhaps even more messed up than Sirius's. His mother abandoned him and his father after his birth and his father died in our third year at Hogwarts. Now, he lives with a foster family. They're not bad people, Remus says, but he wishes he had his real family. The only problem is there are two other kids in that family, a boy and a girl. The boy is the same age as us, and goes to Hogwarts. He's a Slytherin who goes by the name of Nott. The girl is a sweetheart and is a year younger in Gryffindor, Adelina.

Last, is Peter Pettigrew who at the moment was sitting beside Remus. He's one of the oddest people I've ever met and to be honest, I'm not nearly as close to him as I am to Sirius and Remus. He's very short, the shortest in our grade and is a little overweight. He tends to be pushed around alot and looks to us to protect him from bullies. I consider him to be like a little brother and we happily punch back for him, well not so much Remus, but Sirius and I know how to lay it on thick. How much else can I say about Peter? He's a bit gullible and is kind of a mama's boy. Honestly, I've been to his house before and his mother spoils him like there's no tomorrow. His father has been out of the picture for years, apparently he was a heavy drinker and one night went out and never came back. But Peter was four at the time and doesn't remember it. His mom's dating a new guy, her fifth since I met Peter. This one is a clerk by the name of Harold. I've met him once and he's okay, I guess. A little weird, but he's definitely a step up from the last one who turned out to be a stripper. And concluding the Pettigrew family is a little girl named Meagan who is four years younger, in Ravenclaw, and was born two months after her father died.

"Hey Prongs!" Sirius jumped up suddenly and threw his arms around me, slapping me on the back and then threw back his head and let out his trademark laugh.

I stared at him weirdly. "What's so funny Padfoot?"

"You have lipstick in your hair."

I hastily wiped my hand through my hair, erasing the last remnants of my mother's tenderness. Better to keep it in memory than out in the open.

Sirius was still laughing as he sank back into his seat and patted the empty space beside him. "So, who's lips were you locked on this morning Mr. Potter? I hope she's the reason you almost missed the express."

I rolled myself as I sat down beside Sirius. "Actually, she's the hottest blonde babe I've ever met."

"Ooh, do tell!" Peter squeaked, jumping up and down in his seat. He looked painfully ridiculous and Sirius burst into another fit of laughter.

Remus shook his head and stared at me intently. "Your mom," he said knowingly and I nodded. Nothing got past Remus. He didn't say anything, and he didn't have to. I knew he was happy for me; he knew what it meant to me.

Sirius looked disappointed and slumped in his seat. "Your Mom? A hot babe? Gee Prongs, and here I was, hoping for some real hot action. So, no girl?"

"Nope," I responded, and grinned, "But I'm sure you did."

"Try three Russians," Remus teased, and suddenly I saw that he was holding in his hand a book. Remus was always reading and at the moment it looked like he was immersing himself in War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.

Sirius glared at Remus. "Moony, shut up would ya?" He turned back to me and shrugged his shoulders. "So there was Ethel, Greta and Maria," he counted off his fingers, "And then this girl who was looking for it badly and the only name I got from her was Sex Kitten."

"You slept with four girls over the course of one summer?" I asked incredulously. I knew that Sirius was fast with the ladies, but this was ridiculous.

Sirius shook his head, and he looked thoroughly upset, "No. Ethel let me take her out for supper and then she went back to wherever she came from. Greta and I dated for a whole month but then when I tried to sleep with her she ran away. Maria, on the other hand, I dated for a week, and then when I tried to call her, realized that she was on her honeymoon."

"Sirius, you're not serious, pardon the pun. You were dating a woman who was engaged."

"She never mentioned it," Sirius said in his defence, "And it's not like I slept with her. Only Sex Kitten..."

"Stop saying that name," I shouted, blocking my ears with two hands, "That's just disgusting. Please don't tell me you were drunk."

Sirius shook his head. "I wasn't drunk and I didn't really sleep per se with Se...her. I was at a club and she stumbled up to me, looking completely wasted. She tried to lead me away with her but I told her no. I didn't want to have my first with a drunken bitch."

"Padfoot..."

"Don't Prongs," Remus said suddenly, "I already tried to talk sense into him."

Sirius threw him another glare and sighed. "Just because I want to sleep with a woman doesn't make me a bad person. If I was a horrible guy, I would have slept with the drunk one. But I possess morals too and I know right from wrong. And as far as I know, there's nothing wrong with wanting to share love with another human being: male or female." He tossed a glance at Peter who glared at him and folded his arms angrily.

"Just because I haven't dated half of England's women, doesn't give you the right to assume that there's something off with my sexual orientation. I happen to have a major crush on someone in our year."

I rolled my eyes probably for the hundredth time that day and glanced at Moony who had re-immersed himself in his book, though his eyes shone with amusement caused no doubt by the scene playing out before us.

"Oh really," Sirius said teasingly, "Who? Rikki Martin?"

Actually, the irony of Rikki's name had always struck me as odd, seeing as Rikki was a shy Ravenclaw girl in our year who stood at a height of 5'2 and was far different from the Latin singer who really knew how to shake his hips. However, Sirius's play with the name went deeper than that and Peter turned bright red.

"N...No," he stammered before taking a deep breath and then whispered a name that was incomprehensible.

"You're going to have to speak up Wormtail," I said, unable to hide my curiosity. In all the years I had known Peter, I had never known him to show interest in dating girls.

Peter glanced at his feet, his face reddening at a rapid pace. He said something again, but all that I could understand was mumbled garble.

"Wormtail," Sirius prodded, "Speak up mate. We can't understand a word your saying."

"I said," Peter started, but before any more words could leave his mouth, the train came to a screeching halt.

"Already at the next stop?" Sirius glanced at his watch and shrugged, "Time goes by quickly when you're talking about the ladies."

I shook my head, but remained silent as the sound of people talking filled the still air of the train.

Remus stood suddenly, closing his book with a firm poof. "Well, best be off," he said, sliding his book into his carry-on bag, "I have to go meet the Heads and Prefects. They should all be here at this point."

James nodded. Remus had been made Gryffindor prefect last year along with Danni Tonks, who was a soft-spoken girl, almost as smart as Remus, and possessed the coolest hair in the entire grade. Ever since second year it had been a bubblegum pink and short to her shoulders.

"Don't want to be late for Danni," Sirius said teasingly.

Remus gave him a withering look. "Danni and I are just friends," he said shortly and then dashed out of the compartment, weaving his way through the crowd of people who were searching for free compartments.

"He's obviously in love," Sirius said with a tone of certainty as he reclined, stretching his feet onto the empty space that Remus had left. "Poor guys being delusional. And talking about delusional..." He glanced quickly at Peter who was turning bright red again, "You were saying."

Peter began to stammer again. "I...I...I..."

"Oh for the love of God Wormtail!" I exclaimed, "Just say it, would you. You know he's going to bother you until you do. Who do you like?"

Peter sighed and finally gave in. "Evie," he said in a barely audible voice.

"Evie!" Sirius shouted in amazement, "You like Evie Fletcher! Oh, now this is interesting to be sure! Evie Fletcher is dating someone already, Wormtail. You're after another man's woman."

"Shh!" Peter cried imploringly, as his watery eyes turned meaningfully towards the doorway.

I glanced quickly towards the door and scowled. Nott was leaning casually against the frame of the door, a glint of malice evident in his eyes. "Well, well, isn't it three-quarters of the fabulous foursome."

"Wow Nott, had no idea that you could do Math," Sirius said mockingly, not even bothering to turn his head to face him.

Nott's eyes narrowed, but he did not retort, which surprised me. Then again, Nott was not known for being the wittiest of the bunch. That was usually Lucius or Rabastan's place. "So, what are you three whispering about?"

"That's hardly a concern of yours," I replied coldly, "Now, why don't you tell us why you're bothering us when school hasn't even started yet. Are you really that anxious to lose your dignity?"

Sirius and Peter laughed while Nott just stood there, at a loss. After a few seconds, however, his face was contorted into a huge grimace and he pounded a fist into his hand. "Just you wait Potter."

"Wait for what? For you to understand what we're saying?"

Nott growled and then turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, but before leaving a thread of curse words and other profanities.

"Well," Sirius said slowly, "If it was a swearing contest, he would definitely take the cup."

I nodded in agreement and then stared out the window as the train took off again, headed straight for Hogwarts and home.

*****************************************

Remus returned late in the afternoon from his meeting, looking utterly exhausted. "I swear," he said as he sank onto the seat, "We never agree on anything, not with Lucius and Bellatrix arguing against everything we propose. I don't know how Sam and Erica are going to get through the year."

"Sam and Erica?" I asked in surprise. It was unusual for two Heads to come from the same house, but apparently Albus Dumbledore had felt that two Ravenclaws would do the job well.

Remus nodded as he opened up a water bottle and took a big sip. "Yep. They're really great, actually, and Sam managed to win a shouting match against Lucius. But still, the Slytherins are especially upset by Dumbledore's choice of Heads. They wanted the Head Boy to Rudolphus, you know, Rabastan's older brother."

"Oh, you mean Rudolph, the red-nosed idiot," Sirius laughed at his own lame joke that invoked only unimpressed stares from the rest of us. "Gee, apparently everyone's humour ran away over the summer."

"And apparently so did someone's ability to be funny," Remus reciprocated and then smiled, "Danni's hair is still pink. But it's shorter than it's ever been. Really cute, actually."

Sirius and I shared a quick glance. "So, have you asked her out yet?"

Remus laughed as he went through his bag, searching for his book. He pulled it out and opened it to the right page before responding. "We're just friends."

"Friends, my arse," Sirius said and leaned forward, snatching the book out of Remus's hands.

"Hey!" Remus protested and lunged for it. Sirius, however, was quicker and stood on the seat, dangling it overhead.

Remus was a little taller than Sirius, but with the added bench, all he could do was stare at Sirius with angry eyes. "Give me back my book or else."

"Oh come on Moony," Sirius said nonchalantly, "Just admit it, you like her."

"Shove off," Remus said with a vehemence that was a quite unlike him, "Just give me the book and stay out of my business." With that, he jumped up, snatched his book back and walked out of the compartment, with a storm cloud buzzing around his head.

Sirius smiled triumphantly as he settled back into his seat. "He's in love."

"Padfoot," I said slowly, "You really shouldn't bug Remus like that. He doesn't deserve to be treated with contempt."

"Contempt," Sirius repeated, "Moony doesn't mind it; he knows it's all for fun. And if it wasn't for me pushing him, he wouldn't ever get himself girl, I promise you that."

Peter rolled his eyes. I didn't say anything; it would do no good. Sirius, at times, could be a hell of a lot more arrogant than even the Slytherins.

The rest of the train ride was spent mostly in silence. Near the end of our trip, Remus returned, though he remained sullenly silent and deeply absorbed in his book until we finally came to a halt at the Hogsmeade Station. Outside the train, twilight had fallen and on the horizon, the moon could be seen rising.

Excitement filled me as we began to disembark. Returning to Hogwarts always invoked within me this feeling of belonging that even my own home could not conjure.

"C'mon," Sirius said, placing a hand on my shoulder as we were engulfed in a crowd of familiar places. "Let's grab a carriage before they're all full. Remember last year." He shuddered and I suppressed the urge to laugh. Last year was hard to forget. Sirius had found himself sitting in a carriage with three second year girls who still suffered from a major crush over him. Needless to say, Sirius had been overwhelmed by their endless giggling and fluttering eyelashes.

Remus and Peter hailed us over from a carriage and we hurried over. Once we were seated, I turned to look out the door to watch the desperate scramble to reunite with friends and find empty carriages. And then my eyes fell on her.

She was walking, alone, through the throng of people, her red hair swaying and falling just like waves in the ocean. And the way she walked, as if she was the essence of elegance and grace. She looked like she belonged to the royal family, so perfect was her every move. And then her head turned in my direction and I caught a glimpse of her eyes. Round, emerald eyes that sparkled like diamond and seemed to hold some deep secret. I was captivated. What I wouldn't do to swim in those green pools of light. And suddenly I was resolved to make her mine and to make sure that we were together forever.

Never before had I believed in true love, but in one moment, I felt as if I couldn't breathe as if she was the air that I needed, that she was all my life. And I didn't even know her.

"Prongs? Hey Prongs! Earth to Prongsie!"

A hand fell across my vision and like that the moment was broken. I looked towards the interior of the carriage where three pairs of eyes were staring at me like I was mental or something to that effect. "What?" I asked.

"Well, let's see," Sirius said, and placed his finger on his cheek, pretending to think hard, "Umm, oh yeah. We've been calling your name and you've been staring off into space like you've been possessed by some demon. Were you trying to ignore or us or was it that temporary deafness syndrome?"

I sighed. "Sorry, I didn't hear you guys. What were you saying?"

Sirius's eyes began to glow mischievously, "So, who is she?"

"Who's who?" I asked, aware that my cheeks were probably flushing red with embarrassment. Had they seen me staring?

"Who's the girl you were staring at?" When I didn't respond, Sirius gestured dramatically, "When a man sees a hot babe he sees only her and hears nothing. It's the MRTHG syndrome."

"The what?" I demanded.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "The Male Reaction to Hot Girls syndrome." The tone in his voice made it sound as if the entire world should know.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Right. Well, I wasn't suffering from that. I was just thinking about Hogwarts. I'm glad to be back."

Sirius looked doubtful and stared past me to see if he could spot anything. I prayed that the girl had already moved on and sighed with relief when Sirius sat back, looking perturbed. "Don't think you're off the hook yet Prongs. I'll figure out this mystery; I've never met a case I couldn't."

I laughed nervously but said nothing as the carriage started to move. As we drove along the rocky road, my mind couldn't help but turn to thoughts of the beautiful girl. I would see her again, no doubt, but I would have to be sure not to make it obvious to my friends, not yet.

**A.N. Okay so this is still in test run mode. I want to see how many people are interested before I get really serious. I'm hoping you'll find it to have an original storyline and get drawn in by that. So if you like it, and would want to read more, please, please, please, please review with questions, suggestions, comments of praise. That's what keeps me writing, keeps me inspired. :D Hope you all stick around for more.**

Love you all,

Faith :D


	3. Chapter 2

**A.N. For **_**meals**_**: James's immortality will be better explained in a few chapters, but it does have to do with genetics. Stay tuned to get the full story :D**

Chapter Two:

Her name was Lily Evans. Lily Rosaline Evans.

This latest bit of news was revealed to me as well as the entire Student Body as we were sitting in the Great Hall, waiting for supper to be served. I was starving at that point, but my mind was even hungrier than my stomach, longing to know about the mysterious red-head who had stolen my heart. I tried to pinpoint her in the group of people who were steadily making their way to their seats, but she was not among them. My first thought, was that she had been merely a figment of my imagination. But she had seemed so real, so unique; could I really have imagined her into existence?

But then I saw her, it was easy enough too. She entered with the group of first years that would be sorted into their respective houses and stood about a foot taller than the entire lot of them. My heart skipped a beat as I caught sight of her and I took in a deep breath of air as my own supply was suddenly caught short.

"Who is that?" Sirius asked quietly as she passed by our table, his eyes fixated on her in interest. "I could swear I've never seen her before."

"That's probably because you haven't," Remus cut in suddenly, looking very pleased with himself, "I know who she is."

"You do?" Sirius and I chimed in unison.

Remus grinned and nodded, but said nothing more.

"Oh come on Moony," Sirius pleaded with him, "Don't tease us. If you know who she is then spill the beans."

But Remus merely remained silent and drew an invisible zipper over his mouth and locked it with a key for dramatic effect. And then, his eyes dancing with silent laughter, he turned away and smiled up at the Head Table where Professor McGonagall was standing in front of the cluster of new recruits.

Well, if Remus wouldn't tell us, McGonagall surely would. And she did indeed. After going through the long list of the newest students and sorting them into either Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin, only my red-headed angel remained. She looked so calm even though she stood in front of us all, over three hundred pairs of eyes focused solely on her.

"And now," McGonagall said and she bestowed a rare smile upon the girl, "It is my pleasure to introduce to all of you, Miss Lily Rosaline Evans."

"Lily Rosaline Evans," I repeated quietly to myself, enjoying the feel of her name rolling off my tongue. It was just as beautiful as she.

"Miss Evans has only recently moved to England," McGonagall continued, "She is a sixth year and will be joining the house of Gryffindor. I hope all of you will welcome her and help her to adapt to Hogwarts life."

I felt a wild joy blossom in my soul. She was my age and would be residing in my house. Could there be anything more wonderful? Everything was falling perfectly in place; it was almost as if Fate herself was stepping in to make sure that our lives became intertwined.

So absorbed I was in my thoughts that I hardly realized that the cooking staff was emerging from the Kitchen carrying trays laden with a varied assortment of food. My mouth suddenly watered as the smell of the succulent dishes filled the room. The first feast of the year never disappointed.

"Excellent," Sirius whispered excitedly as the food was laid on the table before them, his grey eyes dancing with eagerness. I instantaneously mistook his anticipation as being focused on the food, but soon realized my error. Because Sirius's eyes were hardly trained on the food. I followed their gaze and saw to my immediate horror that they were staring intently at Lily. My Lily.

"She is possibly the hottest thing I have ever seen," Sirius continued, his gaze intensifying as she settled herself gracefully among the other sixth year girls. And then, the unthinkable happened. Sirius leaned forward over the table and let out a long wolf-like call and a low cat whistle.

Lily's eyes immediately turned in our direction, as if she had no doubt that the profane calls were intended for her.

Sirius smiled at her, his winning smile that had captured many a girls' heart at Hogwarts, and winked, his grey eyes flashing with the thrill of having captured her attention. "Hey Lily Flower. Fancy taking a seat over here."

But before Lily could make a reply, one of the other girls, pulled her back and shot a reproachful glare at Sirius. "What Black? Can't wait even a day before trying to find another girl to fawn over you?"

The girl in question was Nikki Durmot who had been one of Sirius's earliest conquests at Hogwarts. She had, unfortunately, learned the hard way that Sirius was not the sort of guy who was committed to serious relationships (pardon the pun). Now, Nikki loathed him with every bone in her body and had made it her personal mission to make his life miserable.

Sirius seemed unperturbed by Nikki's comments and merely shrugged at her accusations. "Well, she's definitely worth it."

"Oh shove it Black. You're not the 'Sirius' type of guy."

Peter choked suddenly on a piece of bread as the girls began to titter and began to slide into his seat as if trying to disappear behind Remus.

Evie was one of the rare girls in Hogwarts who had not fallen head over heels in love with Sirius. Maybe it was because she had seen what he had done to Nikki, or perhaps it was just that she had much more self-respect than the others, or maybe she was sincerely not the type of person who fell for the long black hair and captivating grey eyes look. In any case, Evie was now happily settled in a relationship with Ravenclaw prefect, Derek Johnson.

The other three girls who were laughing their heads off were Danni Tonks, Winifred Harson and Alice Landrin. The former was the other sixth year prefect with Remus, the one he has a major crush one. She's another one who never had time for Sirius and his good looks.

Winifred Harson and Alice Landrin also despised Sirius, though their reasons for hatred stemmed straight from the fact that he had broken Nikki's heart in two. Now that's what I liked to call a personal vendetta. Of course, both Winifred, who preferred to be known as Wyne, and Alice were happily settled with boys of their own. Their names: Amos Diggory and Frank Longbottom respectively.

"Oh really funny," Sirius commented sleekly, "That 'Sirius/serious' thing never gets old." He rolled his eyes and then ignoring the glares he was receiving, turned his attention back to Lily who looked slightly amused by all this.

Her smile was dazzling, I realized as her lips curled back into a tiny grin. It was so petite and delicate and matched the rest of her features that made her look like the elegant goddess she was. But before I could observe more of her body language, Sirius broke through my concentration with more sweet talk. "So, McGonagall says you recently moved here. Did you fly in from heaven?"

I rolled my eyes discreetly. How ridiculous, I thought to myself, he's chased her away already. But despite my best attempt to persuade myself that he had, I couldn't help but feel concern at the current situation.

"Maybe I did and maybe I didn't," Lily spoke for the first time. Her voice was possibly the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. It was like hearing angels sing, though I had never actually heard the latter, but I was certain that if the two were to be compared, they would sound the same. And the slight accent that purred when she spoke, it was mind-boggling, and yet so unique. "But I won't give you the chance to find out."

The other girls immediately began to laugh as Lily turned away from Sirius. Apparently they were more than happy to see him being shot down by her. In any case, it was bound to deflate his ego by quite a lot.

But Sirius didn't look all too bothered by the initial rejection. If anything, it made him look more excited. It was the thrill of the chase, as some people would call it. Lily had proven herself to be a smart girl, and Sirius was now set on the hunt. There was a reason women compared men to animals, and Sirius was probably the best example out there.

"She'll warm up to me," Sirius said with every inch of cockiness he possessed.

But inside I was hoping quite the opposite. And I felt terrible about it. For the past five years, Sirius and I had been best mates, friends for life and we had never butt heads. But now that I knew we were both after the same thing, I wondered how our friendship would be affected, if it would be affected at all. One thing was certain; Fate was playing a cruel game on us, and I couldn't let Sirius know just how cruel.

*****************************************************

The next day, I woke up and immediately thought of her. Well, it didn't come as much of a surprise. I had just spent the last ten hours dreaming about her and the ways in which our first meeting would go. It was inevitable that we would meet eventually. Last night had hardly counted. I mean, she hadn't even noticed me sitting there; we hadn't spoken. But today...today I would talk to her and sweep her off her feet and Sirius would...well, it was best not to think about Sirius. I had tried to reason out that problem, and my only solution was that Sirius was so shallow; he probably wouldn't care in the end, because there were so many other women out there who would be all too happy to be with him.

My schedule was lying on my bedside table and I reached for it. I had already read it over about twenty times last night, but once more couldn't possibly hurt. Calculus was my first subject today, not that I minded. Math happened to be one of my better subjects, though no one could best Remus in it. After all, he was so logical, his mind was probably always running over numbers and formulas.

I didn't know if she would be in that class as well. There were two math groups for sixth years: advanced and regular, and, although I did imagine that she was brilliant and talented, I could not really know for sure that she would be in the Advanced class with Remus and myself. Unfortunately, Sirius was in that class too. But Sirius was in every class that I was. It had been a deliberate decision that we had made at the end of last year. Of course all the houses stayed together for the core courses: English, History, Physical Education, Biology and Social Issues. But then we each had been allowed the choice of three electives, one having to pertain to the arts. So Sirius and I had chosen an Economics class, a Politics class and then Music. Art we deemed to be too boring, Drama too risky and Dance too sissy. Besides, we were both musically adept, so we had better chances surviving it than all the others. Remus, on the other hand, was a big science buff. He was bound to become the next biggest surgeon, and had taken Chemistry and Physics along with Drama. Peter, well Peter was a confused case and had finally decided to take Politics and Economics with us, but having epically failed to play the recorder in our first year, had chosen to take Art.

But all that hardly mattered in the grand scheme of things; all I wanted to know was what Lily Rosaline Evans had signed up for. Was she on the track of becoming a doctor or something else involving the sciences? Or had she conceived aspirations of becoming the next Prime Minister of Britain? Or better yet, was she set on travelling the long and winding road of the struggling musician? Hopefully I would know at least one of the answers by lunchtime.

I looked at my schedule again, though I hardly needed to. After Calculus, I had English and then after lunch: Politics and History. That meant that were definitely two classes I would be sharing with her today and if Fate wanted to repent, perhaps all four. But that was not to be the case, as I soon learned in the Great Hall.

It was Remus, who as a prefect knew the entire goings on in the school who told me. Well, in truth he was answering a question that Sirius had posed after devouring an entire bagel in two seconds.

He had come down, looking extremely hopeful and I knew that he too had been dreaming up ways of making Lily his. "So, what do we know about Miss Lily Rosaline Evans other than the fact that she is the hottest babe I have ever laid eyes on?"

"Are you actually interested in finding out that girls shouldn't only be dated because they have attractive features?" Remus asked him incredulously as he put War and Peace to the side. "Because, I have never known you to be the kind of person to be interested in much else than bra sizes."

Sirius shrugged. "Well, I've realized that I need to take a new perspective on what makes girls fall in love. I can tell that Lily Flower won't be easily impressed by my charming words and good looks. She's a different sort of person, so I intend to attack this case differently than ones in the past."

"I don't get why you're so interested in her," I spoke out suddenly, "I mean, there are plenty girls who fawn over you daily. Why not bother them? Why her?"

"Why her?" Sirius repeated in disbelief, "Why not her Prongsie?" He leaned back in his seat and smiled slyly, "It's like you said, mate. There are plenty of girls who fawn over me and I can have them at any time. But that's hardly meaningful, don't you think? She, however, Lily Rosaline Evans, rejected me after two seconds of knowing me, and I want to know what makes her so special. Because only a unique woman like her can be truly worth having."

So it was the thrill of the chase that was driving Sirius towards Lily. That, and the curiosity of the unknown. True, there were many girls now who hated his living guts, but most of them had all been secretly in love with him after meeting him. None had ever just rejected him from the start. Sure they had made him chase, but that was only to entertain themselves. But Lily wasn't like that...or so I hoped.

"So Moony, what do you know about her?"

Remus sighed as he picked up his book again. "What makes you think I know more about her than you do?"

"It's obvious that you do," Sirius replied and pulled the book out of his hands. Remus glared at him. "Come on Moony. We all know you're an intelligent guy. You don't have to lie to us. Just tell me something, anything."

Remus shook his head firmly. "It's not my business, and it isn't yours either. If you want to know, go ask her yourself. Now give me back my book."

Sirius didn't look impressed and chose not to relent. "Not until you give me a little tidbit of information. Come on, anything. Let's see...uh...tell me what electives she's taking?"

Remus looked determined not to let anything slip, but finally caved in. "Fine. If you must know. You'll have realized it sooner or later anyway. She's taken Chemistry and Physics, like me."

My heart sank as the news reached my ears. So she was dabbling in the sciences, was she? How perfect.

"What about her Arts class? Is she a painter, a musician, an actress or a dancer?"

Remus shrugged, "I don't know. She never said."

Hope was renewed in that brief moment. So there was still the chance that she was going to be in Music with me. I conjured up a mental image of my schedule in my mind, trying to remember when I had Music. Dang! I didn't have it until tomorrow from four to six. Well, at least my hopes couldn't be dashed too quickly upon the rocks.

A hand suddenly tightened around my arm and I gasped in pain as Sirius twisted it anxiously. I looked at him as if he was crazy, but he wasn't looking at me. His gaze was focused past my head. I followed it wonderingly and saw that our female counterparts were walking in. It struck me then, just how different they all were.

There was Danni with her short, pink hair, Wyne with her long blonde locks, Nikki with her short caramel tresses, Evie with her long black hair and Alice with her brown waves tied in a ponytail. And now there was Lily Rosaline Evans with her long, beautiful, red hair flowing behind her like a veil.

Many eyes had turned their way; even some Slytherins had paused to admire the beauties. All six of them were dressed in the Hogwarts attire of shirt, tie and skirt and even I had to admit that these girls really made the uniforms look...sexy.

"Oh man," Sirius whispered, "I'm in heaven."

Remus rolled his eyes from behind his book, but I could tell that his peripherals were doing their job, keeping Danni in plain sight. Peter, on the other hand, was practically drooling as he stared at the girls.

It was funny, I thought, as I turned away, not wanting to be obvious, how much people can change in the course of one summer. I really hadn't remembered the five of them looking so amazing last year. But now, you couldn't help but notice that they had blossomed into women. I guess sixteen really was the magical year.

"I hate how they all stare at us like we're something to eat," Danni commented as she sat down beside Remus. He smiled at her and she smiled back. "It's good to see some people know common courtesy.

Remus blushed and dived back into his book, as if trying very hard to ignore the fact that Danni was inches away from him.

"What's got into Peter?" Evie asked now as she took the seat to my left. She might hate Sirius to pieces but that didn't mean that she had placed all us Marauders under the title of Public Enemies.

Peter seemed to finally come out of his daydream as she said his name and with a small squeak, excused himself and ran full speed out of the Great Hall.

Sirius laughed, a laugh that many girls had fallen in love with. Evie threw him a disgusted look and then began to butter herself some toast.

I could now see Lily perfectly from where I sat. She slid herself with such poise into the seat beside Danni while Nikki took her other side. Her eyes were deliberately not looking in our direction. Nikki had probably taken it as her responsibility to protect Lily from Sirius and his womanizing. In the same moment, I felt gratitude and resentment towards Nikki. I was grateful that she had turned Lily off Sirius for good, but I resented the fact that she was now ignoring the fact that I was sitting only a few feet away.

A few minutes later, Remus glanced at his watch and proceeded to stuff his book into his book bag. "I think we should head up to Calculus." His gaze locked on my mine and I nodded. Better not to be late for McGonagall's class.

The girls said nothing as Remus, Sirius and I moved away from the table. I knew for certain that Evie, Nikki and Danni were in the Advanced Class with us, so I forced myself to still believe that she would be in this class with me, despite the fact that none of the girls had moved to follow us.

We reached the classroom a few minutes later. A few people were already seated there: three Hufflepuffs including Amos Diggory and six Ravenclaws which included Evie's Derek. They nodded at us as we came in, but no real words were exchanged although Remus did shake hands with Derek and Amos who were both the respective prefects of their houses.

Once we were settled in our seats. We had placed ourselves in the first row: Remus, Sirius and myself from left to right. The place settings pleased me greatly. There was an empty seat beside me, which meant that Lily, if she showed up, could very well end up sitting next to me.

Footsteps echoed outside the room, and I looked towards the door expectantly, my breath caught in my throat. But then a frown crossed my face as four Slytherins came sauntering in, looking as if they owned the place.

"Oh look Cissy," the tall, platinum blonde Lucius Malfoy said with malice, "And I didn't think Potter had what it took."

Narcissa, the girl he had just addressed, had blonde hair, not quite as pale as her boyfriend's. She let out a loud shriek of laughter at his comment which was taken up by her twin sister, Bellatrix Black, whose name was a fairly good representation of her hair and heart.

Sirius too began to laugh, though his exploded with mocking. "Oh...my...God Malfoy. That was hilarious. Really, just the funniest thing I've ever heard. You kill me!"

"If only Black, if only," Lucius muttered under his breath. "You know, you really are a disgrace to the name."

Sirius laughed for real now. "And do you really think that you can insult me with that type of a comment Malfoy? Please! If I wanted to be like my cousins here," he gestured towards the two girls who wore similar expressions of deepest loathing, "Then I would be like you and walk around with a pompous air. As it were, I have more respect for myself and don't really like to be considered a prat. And I'm sure you can see the difference. I have beautiful girls running after me while you're stuck with my sorry excuse of a cousin because of a little thing called arrange marriages."

Malfoy opened his mouth to say something but was silenced as four girls suddenly walked in the room, talking and giggling amongst themselves. They stopped the instant they were in, as if they could sense the tension that had risen like a wall between the two feuding parties.

"Day 1 and already a fight," Nikki commented as she observed the scene, "I do love Hogwarts."

A laugh suddenly rang out, one that was of full sincerity. I looked past Nikki and saw that, squeezed between Danni and Evie stood Lily. Her laugh stopped just as unexpectedly as it had begun as she realized that she was the only one amused by the comment and her face flushed red with embarrassment. But for even the few seconds that she had blessed me with the sound of her laugh...well, I now knew that I was hopelessly in love with her.

"Sorry," she said quietly.

"You should be foreigner." Malfoy sneered as he pronounced the last word, the tone of his voice making it painstakingly obvious that he was belittling her intelligence.

Before any of us present could react to his degrading attitude, however, a new figure stepped into the room, her mouth pulled back in a tiny line of sternness. Minerva McGonagall was a formidable woman to be sure, tallest of the teaching staff, and as strict as they come. She was also a very intelligent woman, but she was intimidating. Even Sirius could be found, at times, recoiling under her harsh gaze.

"Mr. Malfoy. There should be no need for you to speak to Miss Evans with that tone," she reprimanded him, her voice cold and unyielding, "Ten points from Slytherin. I would have expected better from you, seeing as you are a Prefect and know full well the responsibilities that accompany the title."

Lucius said nothing. He scowled in James's direction and then sat himself near the back of the class with the two cousins and his other crony, Severus Snape. Snape was an interesting case of Slytherin. He had a brilliant mind, James had to agree with that, but he was so wrapped around the finger of Lucius Malfoy that sometimes he could an even bigger git than the latter. Of course, there was also something about his slimy, greased hair that had always steered James wrong as well.

"Now please settle down class. Ladies, take your seats so that we may begin this class without further disruptions."

I looked up hopefully. There were two seats empty beside me and two others behind them. I wondered if Lily was one of those students who preferred to sit up front, or if she despised being in the line of vision of teachers. The answer came when Danni and Evie took the unoccupied seats to my right while Lily and Nikki took the back two.

So far the day was off to a horrible start.

********************************************

By the end of the day, I was feeling considerably depressed. All of my best efforts had been thwarted and by the time 3:45 came around, I was no closer to knowing Lily Rosaline Evans than I had been yesterday when she had first captured my heart.

After Calculus, I tried to make it so that only seat available would be the one next to mine, but the girls somehow beat us to the classroom and Lily was strategically placed between Danni and Evie. During our Lunch Break, I had once again tried to secure her a seat next to me, but Frank Longbottom had taken it and Alice had ended up sitting next to him while Lily and the other girls sat far away from Sirius.

In Politics, Sirius had spoken to great lengths of how he planned to win Lily's heart. I had tried to ignore him, but it was hard to do. In the end, our Politics teacher, Professor Filius Flitwick, a short man with the beginnings of white hair had us switch places to prevent any further disruptions.

And then in History with the Hufflepuffs and Professor Binns, all plans had been ruined on account of one Amos Diggory who insisted that Wyne sit beside him and then dragged the rest of the Gryffindors lasses along with her.

So by the time History was over, I was far more depressed than I had been at home for the past three months. Fate was being more than just horrible to me. She was mocking me, by planting false hope and then crushing it with her three-inch heels. What I wouldn't do for Lady Luck to smile her grace on me. What wouldn't I?

"Well, I'd best head off for Chemistry. I can't believe I have Slughorn for three classes," Remus remarked as he arranged his books and other possessions in his bag.

Sirius shook his head sadly. "You poor fool. And I thought it was bad enough that I would have to suffer through Slughorn for one class. At least he won't be able to collect me into his Slug Club, or whatever you call it."

"It's not that bad," Remus insisted, but I could see that he didn't believe a word he was saying. "Well, at least I'm not the only Gryffindor."

"That's right," Sirius chimed, "You have lovely Danni in there with you, don't you? Plenty of time for you two to get to know each other very well."

Remus rolled his eyes, but didn't retort. He had already wasted enough energy trying to get Sirius to lay off his back. "Well, see you then," he nodded in my direction and in a blink of an eye was out the door.

"You're really getting on his nerves," I commented as Sirius and I left the room at our own pace, Peter bouncing along behind the two of us. "I think you should leave him be. Focus your attention on other important things."

"Like getting Lily to fall madly in love with me."

"Right," I said, trying to sound friendly, but inside I could feel everything squirmying around with that uncomfortable feeling of competition. But so far, Sirius was a step ahead of me. He had talked to her in any case. So what did I have that he didn't? Oh yeah: she hadn't been forced into having a grudge against me...yet. "Ah shit!"

"What?"

"Forgot my textbook back there," I replied, only then realizing that my bag was lighter than it had been going in. You guys go ahead and I'll meet up with you in the Common Room."

I hurried towards the open door to the classroom and dashed in without pausing to make sure it was empty. And then Fate dealt another hand, though whether it was cruel or not, I could not be certain at first. But in my rush to get my book, I neglected to check my bearings and went barrelling into another human being.

"Oh gee, I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going."

My heart skipped a beat as I recognized the voice that had just apologized profusely, despite the fact that it had been entirely my fault. I looked up and I found myself staring into the big, beautiful emerald eyes of Lily Rosaline Evans.

**A.N. Okay, yet another chapter done (Sorry for the cliffie). I must say that I did a lot of revising on this one. Kept changing my mind. I hope you guys don't think I rushed too much into the Sirius/James thing, but considering Sirius's character, it was only a matter of seconds before Lily became the object of his affection.**

**Anyway, I must really say a big thank you to all of you for reviewing. I wasn't expecting so many people to review and all of you had so many nice things to say to me too. So thank you, all of you for your kind and encouraging words. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and keep reviewing it, letting me know if you think I should make changes to my story line (because I can go back and correct) or if you have other comments or questions. Everything is accepted and appreciated. After all, where would us authors be without people to read our stories.**

**Thanks again all of you and keep reading and reviewing and if you want to be up to date with chapter updates, add this story to your alert list. **

**Love you all,**

**Faith :D**

**Almost forgot, check my profile for a survery pertaining to the next chapter. It's It'll be closed in two days from now, so give your opinion soon!!!!**


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